Thread-presenting mechanism for knitting-machines.



PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

o. H WHITOHER. THREAD PRESENTING MECHANISM FOR, KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l H0 MODEL.

No. 755,975. PATENTED MAR.- 29, 1904.

c. H. WHITGHBR. THREAD PRESENTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1902' no 10mm. v 6 9 SHEETS-$112312.

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No. 755,975. PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

o. H. WHITGHBR.

THREAD PRESENTING MECHANISM-FOR 'KNIT'I ING MACHINES.

APPLICATION rmm JAN. 6; 1902. no xonnn.

3 BHEETSSHEET 3.

Patented March 29, 1904. v

UNITED STATES I PATENT. OFFIC CHARLES H. WHITCHER, OF IPSWICH,MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD-PRESENTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,975, dated March29, 1904.

Application filed January 6, 1902. Serial No. 88,536. (No model.) I

To all whom it Wtay concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. WHITCHER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Ipswich, county of Essex,and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inThread-Presenting Mechanism for Knitting- Machines, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to novel mechanism for presenting threads ofdiflerent colors to the needles in knitting-machines, the devices forpresenting the threads being controlled automatically by a suitablepattern mechanism.

Figure 1 in side elevation represents a sufficient portion of aknitting-machine with my improvements added in one of the best forms nowknown to me to enable my invention to be understood. Fig. 1 is a planView of one of the arms n or of. Fig. 2 is a view of part of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1 looking at the same from the right. Fig. 3 isan enlarged plan view of the thread-presenting devices. Fig. 3 is a planview of one of the actuatorstands. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of thedevices shown in Fig. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail showing thethread-deliveries and the parting mechanism; and Fig. 6 is a section inthe line 00, Fig. 3.

My improved thread-presenting mechanism may be applied to any well-knownform of circular knitting machines using latch-needles, and I haveconsequently shown herein only that part of a well-knownknitting-machine which sustains the thread-presenting mechanism and' ashaft of the machine which is controlled by the pattern mechanism toactuate at the proper times the devices for putting the thread in andout of working position.

Referring to the drawings, let A represent the table, plate, or bed ofany usual circularknitting machine, A suitable legs to sustain it, and Apart of a cylinder having cams for reciprocating the needles that theymay knit in usual manner, the row of needles being generally designatedby A. I have provided the cylinder at its upper side (see Fig. 3) with astand A, and at its side with a second stand A, secured, to saidcylinder by suitable screws A. These stands receive,respectively,screw-threaded posts A and A ,that depend, respectively, from or formpart of two plates B .and B, connected by a screw B and forming asupport for the thread-presenting devices to be described. Each of theseposts A and A has-a suitable nut, as A A, by which to adjust the postvertically to position accurately the thread-presenting devices to bedescribed. The screw B is screwed into the plate B and passes through aslot B in the plate B, so that when the said screw is-loosened the plateB may be turned out or in about the post A to properly present the endsof the levers for moving the thread-guides with relation to the means tobe described for actuating them. The plate B is provided with twostud-screws B and B,- said screws being passed through a cap-plate B,said cap-plate also fitting over the upper end of a stud B, erected onthe plate B.

Between the plates B and B, I have applied a suitable guide-frame C. C,held together by a suitable screw C other screws, as C one for each ofthe two parts C C of the guideway, holdingthe latter in position betweenthe plates B and B. Each of the guideways 0 and C has, as herein shown,two slots, as a and a, in which are located the threadguides to beherein described and designated a a a a The shanks of thesethread-guides are extended backwardly, as shown in Figs.

3 and 6, each pair of thread-guides beingretained in its groove by asuitable cap or washer a. a held in place by a suitable screw.

The screw B has mounted upon it a series of levers b b b Z2 eachprovided with a pin and each engaging a slot of a series of threearmedlevers o 0 0 c and one of the arms of each of these levers has asuitable slot that engages a suitable pin on one of the threadguides,each lever actuating one thread-guide, the movement of the series oflevers in one or the other direction sliding the thread guides Theseries of levers c 0 are fulcrumed on the screw B.

To increase the strength of the apparatus, the post B is provided with aseries of braced friction-pieces d, all alike and shown chiefly bydotted lines in Fig. 8, parts of said frictionpieces surrounding thescrew B and acting to retard the movement of the levers b b, &c.

To part the thread which is not to be used in knitting the fabric, Ihave provided a series of parting devices, (designated a e e 6 theybeing made as levers having their fulcra on one of the two stud-screws eor 6 the inner ends of said parting devices being beveled to formcam-surfaces, as shown in Fig. 6, to be struck by suitable projections,as 0 one on each of the thread-guides, so that when the saidthread-guides are moved forwardly, as

represented by the thread-guide a Fig. 3, the parting device .coactingwith it will be lifted to let the thread run freely between it and therest f to the needles, that the latter may in usual manner take thethread and knit. Each lever or parting device has connected with it asuitable lug, as f, that sustains a stud each pair of said studs beingconnected by a suitable spiral spring J, said springs acting normally toclose the acting ends of the threadparting devices against the rest f.The upper side of the rest f sustains at all times the threads passingfrom the thread-guides a and a but the threadspassing from thethread-guides a and a are drawn over and sustained by the partingdevices 6 and a when they are being delivered to the needles; but at allother times the said parting devices force the threads of saidthread-guides against the under side of the rest f, as shown in Fig. 5.

I have provided the framework of the machine with a suitable rock-shaft,as g, to which is connected a lever g. The rock-shaft g is surrounded bya sleeve 9 having a lever g and said sleeve is sustained by theframework and by a bracket g and the sleeve sustains the shaft g. Therock-shaft g has an arm 9. (Shown best in Fig. 1 and partially in Fig.2.)

The frame has a suitable stud It, (see Fig. 1,) that sustains aratchet-wh'eel h, forming part of a pattern mechanism for welting orother purposes and common to knitting-machines. The wheel h is ratchetedabout step by step in usual manner by a slide-bar 71 and apawl h carriedthereby. I have illustrated the ratchet-wheel h and its actuatingmechanism chiefly because for simplicity I have employed the stud if, onwhich the pawl b is hung, as a means for actuating a lever it, carryingthe pawl If, employed by me to actuate the ratchet-wheel m, employed toactuate the chain m used by me to determine the time of putting thethread-guides into and out of operative position.

I have attached to the bed of the machine in suitable manner suitablestands m one of which is shown in Fig. 1 and detached in Fig.

3". These stands have slots and sustain suitable hollow bearings m forrods m m, provided, respectively, at their upper ends with actuators m"911 said actuators being represented as disks, the actuator m alwaysserving to move a thread-guide into its operative position and theactuator m to move a thread-guide into its inoperative position. Therods m and m are raised and lowered by the levers g and g beforereferred to, controlled as to their movements by suitable links of thepatternchain m. To enable the cylinder to be turned and actuate theneedles without knitting, the lowest position of the actuators is shownby the actuator m, Fig. l. The actuator m may be moved from thisposition by the pattern-chain to get it in line with the path ofmovement of either of the leversb b, &c., according to which of thethread-guides it is desired to put into its operative position, andwhenever a thread-guide is to be moved into its inoperative position theactuator m will be lifted to strike the proper arm of one of the seriesof levers c c, &c., the actuator m always operating in advance of theactuator m Whenever the slide carrying the pawl [L3, is moved in thedirection of the arrow thereon, Fig. 1, the pin it meets the incline 2of the lever it and causes the pawl 71. to turn the pattern mechanism;but whenever the slide [L2 is moved in the opposite direction the spring3 moves the lever h" to retract the pawl.

Erectedon the cam-cylinder in suitable manner is a yoke n, that sustainsa rod n, carrying a suitable spider 02 on which rests the bobbinscontaining the thread to be used in knitting. Said rod also carries aplate 12, containing suitable guide-eyes, one for each of the threadsused, and also it has adjustably connected with it arms at and a eachprovided at its end with a suitable opening for eachof the threads used,and the corresponding pairs of holes in the arms 92 and n are united bya series of coiled springs at, so that each thread is led from thespools to the thread-guides through suitable flexible guides thatobviate any liability of the threads becoming tangled or broken duringknitting.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that anythread-guide may be brought into operative position by raising theactuator m and puttingit inthe path of movement of one of the levers 7/b, &c., and that said thread-guide will remain in operation until theactuator m is put into the line of movementof the outwardly-extended armof one of the levers 0 c, &c, which coacts with the corresponding leverb b, &c. IVhenevcr a thread-guide is put into its operative position,the thread-parting device coacting with the thread carried by saidthread-guide is moved to release the thread that the end of the threaddangling beyond the inner face of the rest may be taken by the needlesas they rise into their thread-taking position, the movement of thethread-guide into operative position being suflicient to carry the looseend of the thread into engagement with the needles. Whenever, however, athread-guide is to be put into its inoperative position, it will bemoved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6, and just before thethread-guide completes its outward stroke the pin 6 permits the partingdevice to move and clamp the thread, and thereafter as the cylinderrotates the thread will be parted and its free end held at the rest. Assoon as the threadguide is started forwardly the thread-parting deviceis moved away from the rest.

I may in this machine use in the regular thread-guide of theknitting-machine a thread to knit the body of a fabric, and I may by thethread-guides shown and described introduce at any time threadsdiifering in color or material and plait or knit them into the face ofthe fabric knitted by the body-thread.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a thread presenting mechanism, a plurality ofindependently-movable threadguides, means to guide the same, and a pairof levers for each of said thread-guides, operative connections betweenthe levers of each pair to cause one lever to be moved by the other toput the thread-guide connected therewith either into its operative orinoperative position and positive means for moving each one of thelevers of each pair.

2. In an independently-movable thread-presenting mechanism, a pluralityof threadguides, means to guide the same, and a pair of levers for eachof said thread-guides, operative connections between the levers of eachpair to cause one lever to be moved by the other to put the thread-guidewhich is connected therewith either into its operative or inoperativeposition, a plurality of actuators, means to control the position ofsaid actuators singly, that each may act in turn upon each of its ownseries of levers to put the threadguide into its operative orinoperative position as desired.

3. In a thread presenting mechanism for knitting-machines, athread-guide, means to guide the same, a lever connected to thethreadguide to move said thread-guide into its inoperative position, asecond lever connected to the first mentioned lever for 'moving thethread-guide into its operative position,m-eans for acting upon saidfirst-mentioned lever to move the thread-guide into inoperativeposition, such movement of said first-mentioned lever causing the secondlever to be moved into position that it may be directly actuated when itis again desired to put the threadguide into operative position.

4. In an'apparatus for presenting thread to knitting-machine needles, apair of levers, means to connect said levers, and a threadguide engageddirectly by one of said levers, and independent means to actuate each ofsaid levers, each lever when turned in one direction moving the otherlever in the opposite direction to put it in position to be acted on byits actuating means.

5. In a thread-presenting mechanism, a rest to sustain the thread nearthe line of action of the needles, a thread-parting device cooperatingwith said rest, a thread-guide, means to move said thread-guide to andfrom the line of needles to put the guide into its operative orinoperative position to cause the thread carried by it to be knit or notknit, and de vices controlled by the movement of the thread-guide tomove the parting device for the thread carried by said guide away fromthe thread-rest when the thread-guide is moving into its operativeposition toward the needles and to effect the movement of the partingdevice toward said rest to clamp the thread carried by the guide whensaid guide is moving vinto its inoperative position away from the lineof needles.

6. In a thread-presenting mechanism, a rest to sustain the thread nearthe line of action of the needles, a plurality of thread-parting devicescooperating with the opposite faces of said rest, a series ofthread-guides, and devices to actuate either of said thread-guides andput the same into its operative or inoperative position, and devicescontrolled by the movement of said thread-guide to move its partingdevice away from the thread rest when said thread-guide is coming intoits operative position and to effect the movement of the parting devicetoward said rest when the thread-guide is moving into its inoperativeposition. I

7 In a knitting-machine, a series of threadguides, and a series oflongitudinally-flexible spiral springs through which the thread going tothe thread-guide is conducted on its way from the bobbins to thethread-guides, said spring preventing injury to the thread.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sub scribing witnesses. I 4

CHARLES H. WHITCHE Witnesses:

Gno. W. GREGORY, EDITH M. STODDARD.

